


The Life in His Arms

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Flangst?, Fluff, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Mpreg, but it has a happy ending, there's a lot of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:13:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23379652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have been dating for four months, but neither has come out yet. When Draco gets pregnant, the two will have to deal with the struggles of a new relationship, pregnancy, parenthood, and revealing their relationship and sexualities to the public.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 29
Kudos: 230





	1. Mulberry and Navy

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing Mpreg. I hope you enjoy! New chapters should be up soon!

A fire crackled in the grate while Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat, attempting to make plans for Ron and Hermione’s upcoming nuptials.

“No, Ron, we are not having orange and blue as our wedding colors! Those are Cannon colors and you know it! I was thinking of a nice mulberry, and maybe navy?” Hermione said, trying and failing to take Ron’s attention away from the quidditch game being broadcast over the wireless.

“Harry, when are you going to get married?” Ron asked out of the blue. “I haven’t seen you with any birds since you and Ginny broke up. And, Hermione and I both know that you’re seeing someone! Fess up, Potter!”

“You sound like Draco,” Harry mumbled, but he was interrupted by an owl tapping at the window. Hermione opened it and the owl flew straight to Harry, sticking it’s leg out and clicking it’s beak impatiently. Harry grabbed the parchment from the owls leg and it gave a feeble hoot of thanks before flying back through the open window.

“Who’s sending you mail at this hour?” Ron sputtered, still reeling from Harry calling Draco by his first name.

“I don’t know…” Harry murmured, opening the letter. 

It read:

_ Harry- _

_ I’m pregnant. _

_ -DM _

“Fuck. I have to go, good luck with the colors!” By the time Ron and Hermione had fully processed the whole scene, Harry was out the door. The letter was still on the table.

“Ron, don’t you dare pick that letter up!” Hermione yelped, but it was too late.

“Holy shite, Harry’s knocked up a girl!” Ron gasped. Hermione wheeled around, grabbing the letter from his hands.

“Ron. Ron, look at the signature,” she whispered.

“It’s only an initial. Just says DM. Wonder who that could be.” Ron said.

“Ron. DM. I should’ve known. I mean he’s been so distant recently, and just now, calling Draco by his first name…” Hermione continued.

“No. No way” Ron mumbled, realising what she meant. “But… Can men even get pregnant? Is Harry even into guys? Holy shite!” 

“Oh my God. Harry’s having a baby. With Draco Malfoy.” Hermione concluded.

  
  



	2. Heartbeat Under His Hand

The bathroom tile was cool against his sweatpants and Draco just couldn’t stop shaking. This couldn’t be happening. Not now, not to him, not when he finally has a relationship that he’s happy in. He had to go and ruin it.

He got up from the floor when he heard Harry ring the doorbell. Draco walked to the door with his arms wrapped around his midriff, shoulders shaking and face wet with tears. The moment he opened the door, he was pulled into Harry’s strong arms, sobs wracking his body as Harry held him close. 

“I’m sorry,” Draco whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“No.” Harry said softly, pulling back slightly to look Draco in the face. “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.” He pulled back further to take off his cloak, before placing a hand on Draco’s back and guiding him into the kitchen.

“Are you sure?” Harry asked in a soft voice as he put the kettle on.

It was all Draco could do to nod. “A boy.” he whispered. “The spell said I was having a boy. A son.”

“A son.” Harry repeated as he sat down next to Draco with two steaming mugs of tea. “We’re having a son.”

Draco leaned into Harry’s side, his head resting on his shoulder. “What are we going to do?” He whispered.

“Well, the first thing we’re going to do is move your stuff to Grimmauld Place. I was going to ask you to move in anyways, and this place is much too small for three people. Then, we’re going to pay a visit to Pansy, to make sure that our baby is healthy. And the rest… is going to be a bit harder.” Harry reassured him, knowing that Draco hated surprises. And this… This was one big surprise. 

“C’mon, Dray, let’s get you to bed. You need some rest, and we could both use a good night’s sleep.” Draco nodded his head and placed his undrunk tea back onto the table. He followed Harry into the bedroom and lay down next to him. Harry fell asleep curled around Draco, swearing that he could feel his son’s heartbeat under his hand.

  
  



	3. FERRET!?

Leaving Draco that morning was one of the hardest things Harry had ever done. He had wanted to stay, to help Draco pack, to keep him company, but he’d promised Ron and Hermione that he’d have them over for lunch and wedding planning, so he’d made breakfast, rubbed Draco’s back when his morning sickness hit, and kissed him goodbye, promising that he’d be back the next day.

When he returned to his Grimmauld Place, he was surprised to see that Ron and Hermione were already there. They were both giving him the iciest of stares, and it was at that moment that he remembered leaving the letter behind.

“Fuck!” he whispered as he put his key into the lock.

“HARRY JAMES POTTER! GET YOUR LYING ARSE IN HERE BEFORE I HEX YOU INTO NEXT WEEK!” Hermione screeched from the basement kitchen.

“Hello to you too, ‘Mione, Ron.” Harry responded, trying to keep his tone light.

“FERRET! YOU KNOCKED UP FERRET! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? OBVIOUSLY I NEED TO START CALLING YOU POTTER, BECAUSE WHEN NO ONE DOES, YOU LOSE YOUR BLOODY MIND!” Ron yelled, eyes ablaze.

“Seriously, Harry. Why didn’t you tell us?” Hermione added, tone less accusatory than before.

“Well… I mean, I had my sexuality crisis kind of late in life, y’know, I didn’t really have time to worry about who I was kissing during my Hogwarts years. So by the time I realised, I was dating Ginny and I didn’t want to break her heart, or your mother’s for that matter, but it turns out that she had the hots for Luna the whole time, and that a lesbian woman and a gay man don’t really work well in a relationship. So… yeah.” Harry mumbled, looking at the floor the whole time. “And Dray and I’ve only been dating for four months, but this whole pregnancy thing kind of, y’know, came up out of the blue.”

“DRAY? Merlin’s pants, he’s lost his bloody mind!” Ron swore. 

It was at that precise moment that the weight of the situation really hit Harry. He sat down heavily in the nearest chair, put his head in his hands, and whispered “Holy shit. I have a son. There is a baby inside of my boyfriend. Holy shit.”

“Son?” he heard Hermione say from above him. “You’re having a son, Harry?”

“Yeah,” Harry said, looking up. “I am.”

“Congratulations. What room are we making a nursery?” Hermione said, sitting down next to him.

“There are too many rooms in this damn house, pick anyone. And please, don’t let Ron pick out the paint colors.” Harry moaned, and the kitchen filled with laughter again as Hermione pulled paint samples from her pocket and asked Harry what brand of crib he was thinking of. 

  
  



	4. JSPM

Three Months Later

“You have to tell her Harry, the sooner the better. If you don’t tell her by next month she won’t have enough time to finish knitting!” Ron scolded.

Harry was sitting in the bedroom that looked over the small garden with Ron and Hermione, making sure that they were okay with painting the nursery, just about to leave for lunch with Draco, when Ron had sprung this on him.

Harry put his head in his hands and groaned. “I know, I just feel so bad about it. He’s the first person I’ve dated since Ginny, I don’t know how she’ll take that. Also, he’s a man, and a pregnant man at that, one who’s carrying my baby, that she doesn’t know about it! How the hell do you tell someone about that?”

“Harry, you know that she loves you like a son. She accepted Ginny and Charlie when they came out, what makes you think she won’t accept you?” Hermione soothed.

“I don’t know!” Harry sighed, exasperated. “I don’t know how she’ll feel about me dating a man, and I mean, your family’s never been that fond of Draco, I just don’t know how it’ll go down!”

“You have to tell her before he’s born, you do know that, right? Because if you just show up at Sunday Dinner with a baby on your arm, she’ll have a right heart attack!” Ron added.

“Really helpful Ron, thanks!” Harry muttered sarcastically. “I’ve got to go, I promised Dray that I’d meet him after his appointment to talk names. Take care, you two. Hermione, make sure that you don’t let him sneak orange paint in there somehow!” 

Harry took the long way to Draco’s restaurant of choice, thinking about legacy and family, and wondering where his son would fit into it all. Both Potter and Malfoy were already tacked onto his name, what name could they give him before that to give him enough bravery to carry those two on his shoulders? Bravery. That’s it.

“Hullo, love.” Harry greeted Draco, the two of them tucked away in the back corner of a London tea shop. Draco pecked him lightly on the cheek and placed his hand atop Harry’s, skimming the menu.

“So, names.” Draco started. “I was thinking for a first name, James.” Harry’s eyes went wide and Draco immediately assumed he’d made a mistake. “I mean, if you don’t like it, we could name him something different-”

“It’s perfect.” Harry interrupted him. He looked up at Draco who saw for the first time that there were tears in his eyes. ‘That- that was my father’s name”

“Love,” Draco sighed, brushing his thumb across Harry’s cheek to wipe away a stray tear. 

“And Severus. For his middle name.” Harry added. “This kid’s going to need some bravery to help him carry Potter and Malfoy.”

“Perfect. His name is perfect. James Severus Potter-Malfoy.” Draco whispered.

“Yeah, it really is.” Harry sighed, pulling Draco in to seal it with a kiss.


	5. A Father and a Partner

Harry paced around the bed that he shared with Draco, head reeling. His son had a name, a nursery, two parents with stable jobs, a wonderful home in London (Thanks, Sirius!), and Harry still had not come out. 

Draco had told his mother, hoping his father would only catch wind of it in Azkaban when the Prophet did. Narcissa had been lovely, telling her that she was so excited to have a grandchild. She had been exceedingly helpful as Draco’s pregnancy progressed and he had to take paternity leave from work, but Harry was still working in the Auror office of the ministry and couldn’t be around to help him.

Harry had asked Kingsly for his paternity leave in private, explaining the situation to him and begging him not to tell. The minister had been incredibly helpful and promised Harry six weeks of leave after his son was born.

Harry had somehow told his boss, who was the actual Minister of Magic, but he couldn’t bear to tell the Weasleys. Why was this so hard? He mentally cursed himself for deciding to tell the children before their Mother, knowing how gossipy Charlie could be. And yet, here he was, a reservation for eight (Six Wesaley children plus Harry and Hermione) at the Leaky Cauldron looming only an hour in the distance. 

Hearing his boyfriend’s pacing from the drawing room below, Draco waddled up the stairs and into the master bedroom.   
“Love.” He sighed, knowing exactly why Harry was so nervous. “Come here, sit with me” 

Harry sat down heavily on the bed next to Draco, putting his head on his shoulder and sighing. “I don’t even know why I’m so nervous.” he whispered, “I just am.”

“Don’t worry, love. You know you’ve got Ron and Hermione on your side, Charlie and Ginny are sure to be ecstatic, George and Bill probably won’t mind in the slightest and Percy can kiss my ass.” Draco reassured him. 

“Hey, I’m the only one here who’s allowed to kiss your ass!’ Harry joked, smile spreading over his face as Draco’s laughter filled the room. Noticing the time, he kissed Draco’s cheek and stood. “I’ve got to go, love. Be back soon!” and with that, he aparated away. 

Dinner was uneventful at most, but Harry simply couldn’t bring himself to mention the baby. Ron and Hermione kept shooting him furtive glances, but he pretended to ignore them, continuing his conversation with Bill. Once the food had arrived and everyone was grouped in twos and threes, talking about anything and everything, Harry decided to bring it up with Bill.

“Bill,” he started, turning to face the eldest Weasley who had been sitting in silence, apparently contemplating his fish and chips. “How did you deal with juggling a new baby and a relationship?”

Bill looked up, unphased, and replied. “It’s important to remember that even if you’re a father, you’re a husband too- hold on, why would you need to know?”

“Er, about that…” shit. Harry hadn’t even thought about what to say after this. 

“Harry, I swear to God if you and my sister eloped without telling us, I will hex you into next week.” Bill threatened.

“No, no, Ginny and I’ve been broken up for almost a year now. No, I, er, surprise?” Harry stuttered. Ron looked at him and facepalmed, while Hermione looked as if she might cry from trying not to laugh.

“Wait, Harry knocked a girl up?” George laughed, picking up on the conversation.

“Never assume, Georgie,” Ginny scolded from the other end of the table, knowing about Harry’s prefered gender. “Hold on, how the fuck did that happen?” she added, realizing that Harry had, indeed gotten a man pregnant.

“Hell if I know. No one told me that a man could get pregnant.” Harry deadpanned, realizing at once what his mistake was. “Fuck! Why does this keep happening to me?”

Bill looked as if he might faint, Hermione and Ron had both started shaking with silent laughter, Charlie and Ginny looked proud, and Percy and George just looked confused. 

“Just a moment, who exactly did you happen to accidentally knock up?” George interjected.

“Fuck. I swear on Dumbledor’s grave, if you start laughing I will literally hex your balls off.” he said, giving all of the unknowing Weasleys an icy glare. “It’s, er, Draco Malfoy” he mumbled, looking down at the table.

“PAY UP!” George and Ginny yelled at the same time. Bill, Charlie, and Percy all piled five galleons into their waiting hands. 

“Damn Weasleys,”


	6. Here

“Harry?” the whisper cut through the nighttime silence of Grimmauld Place and Harry turned, hearing the evident concern in Draco’s voice.

“Yes, love?”

“What if I’m a horrible father? What if I’m just like my father? What if-”

“Hey.” Harry could hear the emotion building up in Draco’s voice. “You are no more your father than I am Vernon, alright? You are a wonderful person, you will be a wonderful father. I can promise you that.”

“But how can you be sure?” Draco whispered. He had begun to worry more about parenthood as his due date drew closer, it was only three weeks away now.

“I can feel it.” Harry pointed to his heart. “Here. And,” he placed his hand over Draco’s baby bump, “here. I know it. We know it. Me, and you, and James, all of us. You’ll never be alone in this.” 

“How do you always know the right things to say?” Draco sighed, curling into Harry’s side.

“It comes with the territory, y’know, being the chosen one and all.”

“Don’t you sass me, Potter. I’m carrying your child.” huffed Draco.

“My child, ey Malfoy? I thought it was ours.” Harry joked back. 

“You’re the one responsible for impregnating me.”

“If I remember correctly, you seemed to enjoy partaking in said impregnanting.” Harry deadpanned. 

“Shut it, Potter.”

Harry sighed and pressed a kiss to Draco’s temple. “Goodnight, Dray. I love you.”

“Love you too, Potter.” Draco mumbled from beneath him.   
___________________________________________________________________

Three hours later

“Harry.”

“Mhm?” Harry mumbled sleepily.

“It’s happening.”

Harry was awake now.


	7. Deepest Green He's Ever Seen

“Just breathe, love. Just breathe. That’s good, that’s it.” Harry’s soothing voice was like a block of ice being dropped into the volcano af pain that was running through Draco’s body.

Draco groaned softly as the contraction reached a peak, gripping Harry’s hand with the force of the pain coursing through his body. As his muscles relaxed, Pansy popped her head into the room.

“Alright, boys? Draco, you’re due for another dilation check.” she greeted.

Draco lay back onto the bed and let Pansy do her work, hoping to God that another contraction wouldn’t hit while her hand was up there. 

“Well, Draco, you’re fully dilated and ready to push! When the next contraction hits, you should feel a natural urge to push, and just lead with that.”

Draco’s eyes widened with fear and determination as he mentally prepared himself for the pain to come. “It’s happening.”

He bore down hard, brow furrowed and covered in sweat. Harry stood on his right side, pulling his leg back and whispering affirmations into his ear. His mother stood on his right, wiping his forehead with a soft flannel and brushing his hair back from his face. He could hear Pansy from below him, commenting on how he was doing good, on how his baby was a quick and healthy one, how this was the easy part compared to labor.

All Draco could focus on was the man he loved, always by his side, always saying the right thing, loving him even when he couldn’t love himself. How this baby, their baby, would always have the most loving fathers, how Draco would love Harry until the day he died. 

“C’mon Draco, one more push just like that one and we’ll have your baby!” Pansy said from her spot between Draco’s legs after three quarters of an hour of pushing.

Draco looked up into Harry’s eyes, the deepest shade of green he’d ever seen, filled with love and tears, and he prayed at that moment for his baby to have Harry’s eyes. And with that, and one last push, James Severus Potter-Malfoy was born.

He came into the world squalling, pressed onto Draco’s bare chest, covered in amniotic fluids and eyes closed. Draco was aware of Harry casting a quiet  _ diffindo _ over the umbilical cord, before moving to stand next to him and reaching out a hand to brush over James’ face.

Their baby stopped crying and opened his eyes, big green orbs looking up at them, full of curiosity. “He’s perfect. So perfect. I love him so much already.” Draco whispered. “He looks just like you, Harry.” James had Harry’s eyes and curly black hair, but he also had Draco’s small nose and a mix between Harry’s tan skin and Draco’s pale complexion. 

“No, Dray. He looks like us.”

Ron and Hermione were named godparents and they both cried when they met James. He was wrapped in Molly’s hand knitted blanket and placed in Harry’s arms. He looked down in amazement, marvelled at the fact that he had made this. 

He had created the life in his arms.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all! Thanks so much for reading this far, and please leave a comment if you want an epilogue!
> 
> xx  
> CJ


	8. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who's been here since I started writing, this is the longest fic I've ever written and I'm super proud of it! I hope you enjoy the last chapter, it's full of hints at some rare and not-so-rare pairings!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ

It was a quiet Scottish morning as Harry and Draco strolled towards the quidditch pitch, James resting happily in Harry’s arms. The two were attending the engagement party of Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint, the entirety of their old quidditch teams attending. Harry and Draco weren’t planning to play, but had decided to bring James, hoping to surprise a few familiar faces. 

As they approached the reconstructed pitch, Harry smiled and reached for Draco’s hand. They had so many fond memories on this pitch, not necessarily together, but fond nonetheless. They walked in tandem into the pitch, Draco waving at Oliver and Marcus for them, as both of Harry’s hands were full. 

Flint’s eyes went comically wide, first noticing the joint hands, then Draco’s engagement ring, and finally, James. “Fuck them, they beat us to it!” he muttered to Oliver, who just laughed and ran over to greet them. 

“I see you lot finally got it together!” he greeted, smile warm on his face.

“It certainly took them long enough.” Ron scoffed from behind them. 

“Oi!” Harry yelped, turning round genly so as not to startle James. “We were together for four months without your help!”

“Yeah, you certainly needed my help once you knocked him up.” Ron huffed. “And with proposing.”

“Damn Weasley.” Harry muttered.

“May I?” Oliver asked, gesturing to James.

“Yeah, of course.” Harry replied, handing the baby over. “ Jamie, this is Oliver. He whooped my butt into shape when I didn’t even know how fun it was to beat your Daddy in a quidditch match.”

Draco chuckled and quipped back “You still lost that one time in third year.”

“Because of the  _ dementors _ , Dray. Have some faith in your fiancé, ey?” Harry deadpanned. 

“What about that one time when your own keeper knocked you out with a beater’s bat?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Oliver interjected, interrupting his cooing over James. “Damn, I’m gonna have to talk to Angelina about her decision to make you captain!”

“In my defence, he was off the team the second I woke up. And plus, I was a little bit preoccupied with this one over here,” Harry smirked, nudging Draco lightly with his shoulder. 

“You two are so strange.” Oliver quipped, handing James back to Draco. “You should go say hi to the girls, they’ll be right pissed that you didn’t tell them sooner.”

Harry sighed and turned to Draco. “It’s time to face the music.”

“Indeed.”

They walked over to where Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were standing with George, who smirked as the girl’s eyes turned wide as saucers. “You bastards! No one told me you were together!

“Hey, no cursing in front of the baby!” Harry mock scolded. He didn't think that the girl’s eyes could get any wider but they did, as soon as they noticed James in Draco’s arms. Draco smirked, knowing just how much Harry cursed at home.

George leaned over, kissing James on his little forehead. “Wotcher Jamie, Harry, Draco.”

“You knew!?” Angelina was incredulous. “Damn Weasleys.”

Harry sighed as he sat in the stands with Draco and James, pointing out all of their quidditch memories. “Over there,” Harry said, pointing across the pitch, “That’s where Snape got his robes set on fire by your aunt Hermione. He barely even noticed, y’know.”

“And there,” Draco said, pointing to the spot on the pitch right below the goalposts stood, “That’s where I tried to scare your Dad, but he cast a patronus at me, scared me out of wits he did.”

“Bastard!” James giggled, pointing at Draco. 

“Spinnet, Wood, Weasley, get your asses over here!”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
